Germination of glycerol-prepared microcysts of Myxococcus xanthus was studied. The sequence of morphological events during germination resembled that of germinating fruiting body-microcysts. The turbidity drop of a culture of germinating microcysts could be described by McCormick's formula derived for germinating Bacillus spores. The rate of uptake of labeled glycine and acetate did not change ...

In variable environments, organisms must have strategies to ensure fitness as conditions change. For plants, germination can time emergence with favourable conditions for later growth and reproduction (predictive germination), spread the risk of unfavourable conditions (bet hedging) or both (integrated strategies). Here we explored the adaptive value of within- and among-year germination timing...

The mechanism by which L-proline triggers germination in Bacillus megaterium QM B1551 spores was investigated. First, brief exposure of spores to L-proline, followed by dilution, was sufficient to trigger germination. Once germination was triggered, the spores continued initiation of germination and did not require high concentrations of L-proline. Triggering of germination was pH and temperatu...

A combination of salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM) + cyanide (CN) is known to stimulate dark germination of Lactuca sativa L. seeds. Further studies were done to characterize SHAM and CN action in stimulating dark germination of lettuce seed. Germination was stimulated slightly by either SHAM or CN, whereas when SHAM and CN were combined germination was greatly enhanced. Treatment of seeds with ...

Germination timing is a fundamental life-history trait, as seedling establishment predicates realized fitness in the wild. Light and temperature are two important cues by which seeds sense the proper season of germination. Using Arabidopsis thaliana, we provide evidence that phytochrome-mediated germination pathways simultaneously respond to light and temperature cues in ways that affect germin...

The physiological process of germination depends on several environmental factors such as temperature, water potential, light, nutrients and smoke. Water and temperature are determinant factors for seed germination. Both factors can, separately or jointly, affect the germination percentage and germination rate. The effect of temperature on germination and water potential on germination canoften...

Seasonal germination timing strongly influences lifetime fitness and can affect the ability of plant populations to colonize and persist in new environments. To quantify the influence of seasonal environmental factors on germination and to test whether pleiotropy or close linkage are significant constraints on the evolution of germination in different seasonal conditions, we dispersed novel rec...

Seed germination is regulated through elaborately interacting signaling networks that integrate diverse environmental cues into hormonal signaling pathways. Roles of gibberellic acid and abscisic acid in germination have been studied extensively using Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) mutants having alterations in seed germination. Auxin has also been implicated in seed germination. However, h...

AIMS To determine roles of cortex lytic enzymes (CLEs) in Bacillus megaterium spore germination. METHODS AND RESULTS Genes for B. megaterium CLEs CwlJ and SleB were inactivated and effects of loss of one or both on germination were assessed. Loss of CwlJ or SleB did not prevent completion of germination with agents that activate the spore's germinant receptors, but loss of CwlJ slowed the rel...

Temperature ( T ) and water potential ( y ) are two primary environmental regulators of seed germination. Seeds exhibit a base or minimum T for germination ( T b ), an optimum T at which germination is most rapid ( T o ), and a maximum or ceiling T at which germination is prevented ( T c ). Germination at suboptimal T can be characterized on the basis of thermal time, or the T in excess of T b ...